"Jimmy Spencer never forgets" is more than a catch phrase that sold a few T-shirts at the track a few years ago. It's how Spencer has gone through his auto racing life.

The slogan related to how Spencer never forgot who crossed him the wrong way on the track, but it's about much more than that.

Jimmy Spencer remembers what brought him from local hero in Pennsylvania to the man NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour fans loved to hate in the 1980s and eventually to his current status as a respected semi-retired driver and television analyst.

What Spencer has truly never forgotten are those who paved the way for him and others to succeed. It's something he feels is missing from today's high-stakes, oftentimes me-first, world of Sprint Cup racing.

"There's some really great kids, but there are some punk young kids," Spencer told a media gathering Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I just wish they'd realize and respect, like I did, what the Modified veterans have done in our sport to give me the opportunity to race."

Spencer, 51, was recognized last week as part of the Whelen Tour's celebration of 60 years of past champions. The man known as "Mr. Excitement" won the title in 1986 and 1987 and had a love-hate relationship with fans from Stafford to Thompson to Riverside.

He doesn't forget where his now-famous nickname came from. Stafford Motor Speedway public address announcer Mike Joy, now the play-by-play man for Fox's NASCAR telecasts, saw Spencer's wrecked car in the pits one early-¤'80s evening and implored "Mr. Excitement" to come back to the race.

Spencer doesn't forget the fond memories of Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, which closed following the 1999 season.

"I was a big fan of Riverside. To take one of the greatest short tracks in the country and put a roller coaster in never made any sense to me," Spencer told me when asked to reflect on the old quarter-mile. "I won a race there, and Bobby Polverari (of West Springfield) said I bumped him. I never bumped him, but I did bump another car to get by him, and it bumped Bobby."

In this era of young drivers who make it to the highest levels of racing at ages when guys like "Spence" were trying to catch their first break, fragile egos often lead to cookie-cutter drivers with little personality and a sense of entitlement. That's why Spencer finds it refreshing when guys like Kurt Busch, with whom he once had a bitter feud, and his brother Kyle are not afraid to get on the crowd's bad side.

"I think a boo is a sign of displeasure for something you've done, but all in all, they like you," Spencer said. "If the fans are making noise, then you're doing something right."

LOOSE LUGNUTS: Just a few leftover observations from race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway .¤.¤.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s fans must still be adjusting to his move from the red No. 8 car to the green (Amp Energy) or blue (National Guard) No. 88. Much of the green or blue I saw belonged to people wearing Celtics or Red Sox gear.

Kyle Busch is definitely NASCAR's new black hat. The chorus of boos he received could be heard even in the glass-enclosed press box, and it at least rivaled the volume of Junior's ovation. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, once the bad guys themselves, were met with mostly cheers.

Does anyone outside of NESN really think Roush Fenway Racing displaying the Red Sox colors deserved coverage worthy of the return of a conquering hero? Talk about towing the company line.

Maybe it was due to his second-place finish, but Michael Waltrip is as funny and engaging in person as he appears in his many television commercials. And he's really tall.

DILLON SCORES 100: South Hadley's Joe Rzeszutek came close to adding another chapter to his racing story.

Instead, Rzeszutek had to settle for second place in Friday's Late Model 100 at Stafford Motor Speedway. Dillon Moltz of Waterford, Conn., passed the veteran racer on lap 67 and drove away for his third straight victory.

Robert Thompson of Springfield won the 15-lap DARE Stocks feature.

GO TO EXTREMES: The lineup for Stafford's Extreme Tuesday event on Tuesday will have some added star power, thanks to Craftsman Truck Series driver Johnny Benson and open-wheel legend Bentley Warren. Both racers will compete in the ISMA Supermodified portion of the proceedings. NEMA Midgets and Pro-4 Modifieds will also take to the track.

The NEMA cars raced at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway last night.

BRIAN'S BACKUP: Brian Boudreau of Granby lost his primary motor in his heat race but must have had a pretty good backup.

The 16-year-old charged from 16th place to win the 270cc Mini Sprint feature by nearly half a lap last Saturday at Whip City Speedway in Westfield.